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Chris "linkster" Watson Special user England 564 Posts |
Bill Palmer very kindly posted the story below in response to a thread regarding Albert Goshman and it really sparked some interest for me. First I'll let you read Bills post:-
"I have mentioned on this forum that Dai Vernon was a friend of mine. Once at a convention, Albert Goshman had a booth near mine, and, as was common for him in those days, he was a bit gruff. So I asked the Professor how to get Goshman to be friendly. He said, "Tell him that I told you he did Spellbound better than anyone else. I'll tell you why later." So I did. Albert lit up like a Christmas tree. He did at least 30 minutes of Spellbound without repeating a single change. Later, I asked the Professor what he had meant. He told me that one time at the Castle, Goshman had asked him why people flocked around him all the time. He said, "Because I have a couple of things that I am known for. If you will practice something until you do it better than anyone else, it doesn't matter what it is, people will ask to see you do it. He asked me if I had any suggestions, so I said, 'Learn Spellbound. It's in the Stars of Magic book.' So that's what he did. I could have told him to do anything, and it would have produced the same results." So, I got to see some great magic and had a wonderful magic lesson at the same time. I miss both of those guys." ************************************** Two things really struck me, the first was the comment about being better at one trick than anyone else. This is something that I think I have been slowly coming to terms with in my own magic over the past few years and Bills post helped clarify this for me. I have moved away from the packet type tricks that first captured my imagination and moved on to learning sleight of hand. With coin magic I find that whilst a friend of mine learns a new card trick every week and performs it for about as long, I have been learning the same coin tricks for what seems like years and still have things I want to iron out in them. How many coin tricks do you guy's perform and how long or at what stage do you consider them ready for performance? Do you then settle on this performance or does it develop further? The second thing that struck me was the reaserch and devotion which must have been put into this trick by Albert must have been astonishing. Lets assume that with patter that you perform 6 spellbound changes per minute that is still 180 different changes over the half an hour. My knowledge would probably get me to about a minute and a half ;-D Ithought it may be a fun idea to see if we could collectively come up with in excess of 180 different spellbound changes ande some ideas as to where to learn them...may provide some interesting results. Alas I haven't got my books with me at the moment to get the proper names of the moves but to start the ball rolling:- 1)Sol Stones 1 handed spellbound change - Kaufman Coin Magic 2)Touch Change 1 - Kaufman Coin Magic 3)Touch Change 2 - Kaufman Coin Magic 4)Circulus Switch - Johnathan Townsend - This I learned from Curtis Cam on POS1 not sure where it was first printed. Johnathan? 5)Nabil Change - Cultural Exchange Thats a few to start us off with, any one with any more? |
Curtis Kam V.I.P. same as you, plus 3 and enough to make 3498 Posts |
Chris,
Albert had a way of personalizing most of the things he did, even moves he learned from others. He had his own way of performing the spellbound change. In fact, I'll bet he had several. The one I saw him do was astounding, and typically Goshman. He just sort of fiddled with the coin between the fingertips of his two hands, and the coin just changed. No cover, no wipe, just change. My attempts to duplicate this led to the "Twist" move I tried to teach on my first two tapes. When everything is right, and the stars are in the right places, my change almost looks like Goshman's.
Is THAT a PALMS OF STEEL 5 Banner I see? YARRRRGH! Please visit The Magic Bakery
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Chris "linkster" Watson Special user England 564 Posts |
Thanks Curtis,
Albert's magic has become a bit of a pet project of mine as of late, pretty much since I posted about misdirection on another thread and got suggestions to look at the work of Malini and Goshman. I have been reading his book although as yet I have yet to start learning the routines, I have also just ordered the performance only video of Albert performing from International Magic. It is interesting to hear about the influences of the Twist Change, it seems like Albert influenced just about every magician he came into contact with. I also noted that Chris Korn sited Goshman as an influence on one of his tapes too. Pleasing also to see that such a revered close up magician has so much coin magic within his set, but then how often have you gone to show someone a coin trick and heard "yeah I know this one, my uncle does it!!" I have been playing with using the John Carney fingertip vanish as a change in the same sort of way, come to think of it I may try and use your twist change in with that too...thanks for the reminder. Chris |
BWind Loyal user Honolulu, Hawaii 260 Posts |
After a Goshamn lecture, I was also amazed with his Spellbound at the fingertips; Although Al did not tip any methods for his Spellbound routine, I later discovered a similar move found in Edward Victor's book "Further Magic of the Hands"; The effect is called A Further Changing Coin Effect, and is taught as an impromptu sleeving technique; It's a timing move and somewhat difficult to accomplish readily;
BWind |
Curtis Kam V.I.P. same as you, plus 3 and enough to make 3498 Posts |
Chris, I don't suppose you were at last year's LVMI/COINvention?
There was a panel discussion, sort of an "ask the pros" sort of thing. (the "cons" couldn't make it) One of the first questions was "Who was the best coin magician you've ever seen?" That was a tough one, especially with David Roth and Geoff Latta both on the panel, and either one of them could easily qualify. I think present company were exempted. I had my answer pretty quickly. Al Goshman. But Jamy Ian Swiss stole my answer, and went on at length about it. Then Simon Lovell jumped in, and agreed. So did many others. It was amazing that so many magicians, with no prior discussion, all came to the same conclusion on that question at the same time. No one had even mentioned Goshman up until then. I did not know about the International Magic tape. It would be good to have, just to show to interested students. Or, it would go on the short shelf (with Tom Mullica) of magic performances on tape that I would show to lay people as entertainment. I found it very useful to sit down with the Goshman book and learn the coins and shakers sequences, to the point where I could do them in performance. While I doubt I'll ever perform the piece (although I hear Tim Connover is doing so) there is a lot to be learned from the misdirection and timing built into the routine. You really have to try it on. Bwind, I'll have to check out that Victor ref. Thanks.
Is THAT a PALMS OF STEEL 5 Banner I see? YARRRRGH! Please visit The Magic Bakery
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Karl Miller Elite user 494 Posts |
Here are a few that havn't been listed:
-Michael Ammar's Ultimate One Finger Spellbound -Kainoa Harbottle's Upside Down Spellbound -Pick-up Change -David Acer's Wave Change -The Original Vernon Spellbound moves -The Tumble Change -Bobo Switch |
Michael Rubinstein V.I.P. 4665 Posts |
Check out the Encyclopedia of Coin Sleights DVD's. There is a section devoted entirely to spellbound moves, many still unpublished and found nowhere else.
S.E.M. (The Sun, the Moon, and the Earth) is a sun and moon routine unlike any other. Limited to 100 sets, here is the promo:
https://youtu.be/aFuAWCNEuOI?si=ZdDUNV8lUPWvtOcL $325 ppd USA (Shipping extra outside of USA). If interested, shoot me an email for ordering information at rubinsteindvm@aol.com |
Paul Chosse V.I.P. 1955 - 2010 2389 Posts |
I watched Albert do Spellbound several times, always impromptu, never in a show. The most memorable time was in 1978. I was running a magic shop in San Francisco, The House of Magic, and Goshman dropped in to visit. There was a young guy at the counter buying every coin item and book I recommended. Goshman watched with interest as I demo'ed various items. I knew Al, but the kid had no idea who he was. After we finished the sale we all hung around talking magic and I asked Goshman to do a trick, without introducing him, though I did call him by first name. Albert did Spellbound, astounding all of us with his impossible looking changes, and, as he concluded, this kid must have put things together, because he exclaimed "you're Al Goshman! It's great to meet you..." and extended his hand to Goshman in the time-honored fashion. Goshman, with the extra coin thumb-palmed, reached out and shook the kid's hand, pressing the coin into the back of the kid's hand as he shook, and then letting go and taking the coin with him. The only reason I know this is because I watched him for a clean-up after the trick and the kid grabbed his hand too quickly to give him a chance to ditch. The kid never felt the coin, and everyone there was convinced that Albert did voodoo magic! Where the heck was the extra coin? I learned a great lesson that day...
Best, PSC
"You can't steal a gift..." Dizzy Gillespie
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Chris "linkster" Watson Special user England 564 Posts |
Curtis,
Alas I wasn't at the convention, it was a bit of a trek from th UK and holiday allowances weren't accomodating :-( Sounds like it was a great convention though. It was a bit like reading a list of your favourite magicians and then placing them all in one room from what I could see. I can't take credit for finding the Goshman tape at international magic, someone suggested it on another thread and once again...out comes the credit card ;-D Hi Michael, Thanks for the plug, your encyclopedia stuff is on the to buy list, is your ROPS move taught in that as well? Karl, Thanks fo those, is the tumble change a Sol Stone move? Bwind, Edward Victor is someone else I have been meaning to get their material, ever since asking Bobby Bernard who his influences were. Did Edward do much in the way of coin magic? PChosse, Talk about thinking on your feet,wow!! Must have been fantastic to watch. Any indications as to how Alberts routine looked visually. I'm imagining a very fluid movement and seeing the hands apparently empty other than the coin at fingertips etc but anything else that made the routine so special for you? |
MacGyver Inner circle St. Louis, MO 1419 Posts |
Just wanted to say, that I caught Tin Connover doing the shaker routine at the '04 WMS, and it was VERY good.
Great misdirection!!!! All his stuff was amazing!!! |
Chris Keppel Special user Kansas City MO 544 Posts |
Hey curtis, ive seen your stuff and I like alot of it. I recently saw the palms of steel 2. Nice dvd. A buddy let me borrow it and I have to say there is some usable material on there.
www.chriskeppel.com
Kepp's Custom Carbon Fiber |
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